


Nohrian Songbirds

by AParticularlyLargeBear



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 20:37:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7121749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AParticularlyLargeBear/pseuds/AParticularlyLargeBear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shigure is injured and fed up of being by himself.</p><p>Fortunately, that'll change shortly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nohrian Songbirds

**Author's Note:**

> So I guess this is kind of a cousin ship. So if that kind of thing bothers you then this is your heads up.

If Shigure remained in this room for another hour longer, then he was going to scream.

While usually content to stay indoors and engage in his hobbies, Shigure was less enthusiastic about such confinement when it was enforced. He was starting to go stir crazy; two and a half weeks of bed rest and he still couldn’t walk without a crutch and a heavy limp. He couldn’t even paint, really, because he was only able to handle an hour or so sitting in front of the easel before his knee started complaining. Given his mood, Shigure didn’t feel much like singing either, especially with Jakob prowling around to harry him back into bed at the first sign of life.  

Jakob meant well of course, but in this one instance, his diligence was extremely frustrating. Surely having a quiet walk around the castle grounds wouldn’t aggravate Shigure’s knee overmuch. Unfortunately, the butler was watchful enough that Shigure had yet to find any success in evading him, possessing a seemingly psychic instinct for knowing when Shigure was thinking of making a break for it.

Honestly, Shigure wouldn’t have minded so much if the fort wasn’t also running on a skeleton crew. The majority of the Nohrian forces, including Shigure’s parents, were out in the field at the moment, whilst those that remained were preoccupied by the general duties of running the castle. Visits were sporadic at best, with only Siegbert managing to make the time to come by every day (and never for long, as he always had training or lessons to get to shortly after). Taken together, this meant that Shigure was spending the vast majority of his time by himself, and it was driving him insane. Unfortunately, having reached the limits of what magical healing could do for him, there wasn't much of anything to do  _but_ rest and recover.

He was doing his best not to be resentful about it. They hadn’t left him here out of spite; if anything Shigure had fewer grounds to be upset than Siegbert, Nina, or any of the others who had remained behind. Shigure was being kept off the front lines because he was injured, whilst everyone else was here because they’d been assigned to stay. (For Velouria it was quite specifically a punishment). Maybe Shigure was just stung by his own incompetence. If he hadn’t botched an aerial manoeuvre he was practicing, he would never have been hurt in the first place. In fact, considering he'd slipped from the saddle in midair, he was exceptionally lucky that his foot had caught in the stirrup. A torn knee could have been the very least of his worries.

Shigure grimaced and forced the memories of his fall away. He'd been terrified for his life and in incredible pain; it wasn't an experience he was eager to relive.

A quiet knock on the door was a welcome distraction. Shigure sat up straight in bed, clearing his throat.

"You can come in. It isn't locked."

The door swung open, and Shigure's heart skipped a beat when a head framed by a familiar set of red ringlets peeked around it.

"Forrest!"

Forrest's delicate features were lit up by the world's brightest smile, and he stepped into the room proper. He was wearing a travelling cloak and riding clothes, and yet still managed to be as immaculate as ever.

"Shigure," he said simply, almost seeming to glide across to Shigure's bed. For a moment he faltered, hesitating, and it was everything Shigure could do not to leap out of bed - damn the knee - and embrace him.

Fortunately, Forrest didn't hesitate much longer. In one motion he leaned down, cupping Shigure's face in his hands and giving him a delicate kiss. Shigure, for the first time in weeks, felt peaceful, relaxed. His eyes drifted closed, and he allowed himself for just a moment to focus on Forrest. He was there. He was real.

“I missed you terribly,” Forrest murmured, drawing back ever so slightly, perching himself on the edge of the bed.

“And I you, but I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Shigure held tight to Forrest’s hand, as if he would slip away if he didn’t. “I thought you all weren’t due to return for at least a week.”

Forrest smiled shyly. “I hope you won’t think me cruel… but I asked Siegbert to keep from you that we’d finished early. I wished to surprise you.”

Shigure blinked, and then laughed. "You're tremendously cruel," he let it hang in the air just long enough for the beginnings of concern to break Forrest's expression. "However, it's a surprise so pleasant that I have no option but to forgive you."

Forrest shook his head, giggled. "That was rather mean, Shigure. I was worried!"

"Certainly no more so than I was about you and the others," Shigure couldn't stop a slight waver creeping into his voice as he spoke.

"Shigure..." Forrest's face crumpled. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to stay with you, but Aunt Mira needed me. Apparently Father requested specifically, and-"

"Ssh, ssh... it's okay," Shigure could tell that Forrest was beginning to get worked up, and managed to lean forward to take Forrest's shoulder. "You don't have anything to apologise for. I worry for everyone; you, Mira, all of our friends. Even if you'd remained, I would have been preoccupied by our parents' safety," he smiled gently. "Although I certainly would have appreciated the company."

"I'm glad to hear that," Forrest brushed his thumb along Shigure's knuckles. "I still wish I could have been here. You were never far from my thoughts."

Shigure swallowed, a flush beginning to rise in his cheeks. How fortunate was he, he wondered, to be so close to someone so wonderfully caring? "Well, you're back now. No thinking necessary."

The delighted laugh that Shigure had so missed these past weeks rang out around the room. "I'm  _quite_ certain you didn't mean that precisely as you said it, Shigure," Forrest winked.

"What? I don't?" Shigure repeated what he'd said back to himself in his head, and that flush became a full fledged crimson-faced blush in an instant. "I-I, uh... no, that's... that's not..."

"What the devil is that racket?"

Shigure had never been gladder to hear Jakob's voice, nor see the butler materialise in a doorway.

"Oh, Master Forrest, good day," Jakob narrowed his eyes. "Master Shigure requires rest at the moment. I'd thank you to keep the noise down if you're going to-"

"Jakob," Forrest interrupted sternly, Jakob stopped, looking more surprised than anything. "I know you mean well, but I have not seen my boyfriend in almost a month. Would you kindly give us some time to ourselves? I promise that we will not be doing anything strenuous."

"Yes, well, erm..." Jakob trailed off, and then turned immediately on his heel, marching out. "Very well!"

Shigure muffled a laugh behind his hand, waiting until the door clicked closed again to speak. "I don't think I've ever seen somebody give Jakob quite that much of a talking to."

Forrest looked sheepish. "Was that too much? It may have been too much..."

Shigure grinned. "It's fine, it's very endearing."

It was Forrest's turn to blush. "A-anyway, I've been thinking that what I missed most was your singing."

"My singing?"

"Of course! Not just yours though but, y-you know when we would sing together? My voice isn't nearly as good as yours but-"

Shigure lifted Forrest's chin with two fingers, he faltered. "Forrest...

 

I'd love nothing more than to sing with you."


End file.
